Compare
ACTION-CPT vs NCCPT-CPT
ACTION Certified Personal Trainer from ACTION Certification LLC and NCCPT Certified Personal Trainer from National Council for Certified Personal Trainers, side by side: accreditation, eligibility, exam, cost and renewal, each fact from its cited source.
Key differences
- The exam fee differs: $99 for ACTION-CPT versus $79 for NCCPT-CPT.
Differences are stated only where both credentials have a known value on record — never inferred against an unknown. No winner is declared; which credential fits depends on your goals. Methodology
ACTION Certified Personal Trainer
ACTION-CPT
NCCPT Certified Personal Trainer
NCCPT-CPT
Credential type
certification
certification
Verification
verified
verified
Accreditation
accreditedNCCA(directory-confirmed)
accreditedNCCA(directory-confirmed)
Accredited through
2029-07-31
2031-05-31
Target professional
Entry-level personal trainers working in individual and group settings with healthy clients
Personal trainers
Minimum age
unknown
18
Education requirement
unknown
unknown
Degree required
unknown
no
Experience requirement
unknown
unknown
CPR/AED to enroll
yes
yes
Other prerequisites
unknown
Valid, unexpired photo ID with signature (driver's license, state/government-issued ID, passport, school ID, or military ID — military ID for in-person testing only); valid CPR card or certificate of completion (digital CPR certificate not accepted); name on ID and CPR proof must exactly match the student account. No prerequisite courses; purchase of exam preparation materials not required.
Exam format
130 multiple choice questions (100 scored, up to 30 non-scored research); online with live proctors (ProctorU)
Proctored multiple-choice exam administered by Prometric; not open book/open note; offered at a Prometric testing center or via remote online proctoring
Question count
unknown
140
Time limit
150 minutes
120 minutes
Passing score
72%
Scaled score; candidate whose scaled score equals or exceeds the passing standard passes (125 of 140 items scored; 15 unscored pre-test items)
Retake policy
May re-test after a 90-day waiting period following the previous exam date.
Retakes must occur within the 12-month testing window; waiting periods of 14 days after the first attempt, 90 days after the second, and one year after the third. A retake fee must be purchased to retest. Free six-month extension available if waiting period extends beyond the 12-month window; a further six-month extension can be purchased for a fee.
Exam / application fees
$99 exam fee
$79 exam fee
Renewal required
yes
yes
Renewal cycle
2 years
2 years
CEUs per cycle
2
2
CEU unit system
CEC
NCCPT CEU — "20 continuing education units, which equates to 2.0 CEUs at a rate of one hour per 0.1 CEU" (1 contact hour = 0.1 CEU)
Renewal fees
unknown
$75 standard
Ethics requirement
unknown
no
CPR/AED at renewal
unknown
yes
Renewal deadline rule
unknown
Renew every 2 years by the certification expiration date; initial renewal applications accepted starting one year before expiration. CEUs must be earned within the credential's original two-year cycle (no carryover, no repeated courses). A 30-day grace period after expiration is allowed with a late fee; renewal dates remain fixed to the original certification date. After the 30-day grace period the credential expires and reinstatement requires retaking the certification exam.
Reinstatement
unknown
unknown
Credential status
active
active
Last verified
2026-09-12
2026-09-03
CEU recognition
unknown
NCCPT (own courses) (accepts ceus from) · International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) (accepts ceus from) · Third-party / non-NCCPT, non-ISSA CEU providers (petition accepted)
Categories
Personal Training, Movement Assessment, Nutrition Coaching, Special Populations
Personal Training
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Full records: ACTION Certified Personal Trainer · NCCPT Certified Personal Trainer
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